Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1887-12-31
A HORSE TRADE.

sunlight chances to fall. So it was with
our unsophistcated friend Sam Dover
The fame of his exploit. or rather the cS-
plot of his horse Witiam Hinry went
abroad in the land, that IL, Columbia
county, where he lived. and. thou,i the
figure he had cut in the affair hai been
supremely ridiculous, he was the hero Of
the hour and his name became ineXtrica-
bly interviewer with local history. Any
ambitious historian who shall ever under
take to collect and edit the annals of said
county will be doing a great wrong to
posfcrity il ne neglect To give sam n con-
spicuous place among its celebrities. to
which he IL as justly entitled rs many
whose names are enrolled on the list Of
those who have won honorable mention
10 the worlds history.
Though sam had gained nothing pecu-
niarily by winning she race, and had lost
his horse. he really felt as though he mad
somehow come ont ahead, for who could
tell but that the incident, which at the
time had made him most miserable, might
prove the first step toward a seat in the
.legisla'ur'," or even in the direction OF
the ..guverner's char" itself The
boys" who had Mt first laughed at the
"iplc ahdt tiit
came from ali parts 20 get look at the
man wat winned thet race down ter
'Gusty." began after while TO think he
really deserved some credit for an affair
to which he had lent no willing hand.
Sam had made his return trip from An
gusta riding double with one Of his
friends, who kindly accommodated him
with storage passage on his horse. He
was little the worse for liquor when he
go. home, bu. managed 10 pass himself oil
on his innocent old mother as n very
much fatiGucd traveller, whereupon she
insisted upon hi, taking n strong. hot
toddy and going to bed. which was just
the thing this deceitful son desired the
most to do.
AN wat did yer do with yer hoss,
Sammy;" asked the old lady the next
morning while the two were eating their
| breakfast.
Il got shet Nv i'm. maw," replied Sam.
"W'at did yer 81; fur i'm"
81 got more'n he wuz wuth," said Sam,
pnttins his hand in his pocket to finger
what was left OF the S25
More he WIS wu,h, said his mother
'Thcn yer must or got good figgcr for
i'm. fur yer alters said es he wus u prime
hoss."
so he wus," replied Sam; "but. yer
see he had some tricks thar warn't nc
curin' i'm nv" thinking OF the glass eye
that he had carefully slowed away III d
drawer up stairs.
Then I'm glad yer got shet nv him,
said the old lady, perfectly satisfied.
Daring that period when he was suffer.
ing from the jokes and jibes OF his boon
companions, Sam had often expressed a
desire to meet that ''feller Larkins," FAY
ing he would make his ''durned eyes
Dlacker'n they wus," IL he ever got the
opportunity, but when he really did meet
him he had recovered from all hard feel
ings and had begun to look upon the
horsetrader somewhat in the light OF q
OCnrficeor.
sam was riding mulc several miles
from home when sharp turn in the road
brought him face 10 face with this same
Larkins. The latter was mounted on a
black eeltlins whose coat shone like silk.
Hello said sam, thinking Of the
,,reatS he had made and little taken
abacs.
Coz! mornin', stranger" said Lar
!::ns, jast as though he had never seen
Sam before. Fine weather fur crap
PIN"
Yer don't pear ter ric'lec' me, ;" said
sam. checking his steed.
"wcll-no," replied Larkins. drawing
rein likewise and peering curiously into
the others face. Anyhow, IF hev ever
seed yer afore disremembcr But, ther
fac is, l amt much fur faces nohow.
They bout all pears alike ter me. Yer
,.,s ,l.. a, OF. fol
We'll, don't Yer ric' lee that boss with
glass eyes yer stuck me with bout ye''
ago"
"A hoss with glass eyes" repeated
Larkins, looking puzzled. ''Yer mean
one er these here hosses with white look.
in eyes, reckin; they's mos gin rail- $
called wall eyed hosscs. never did like
them sort. an don't D'iieve ever owned
one NV EN-"
No." said Sam; Il mean rig lar
glass eyed hoss-a bline hoss wat he'd
glass eyes stuck inter his head"
Yer don't say. An did yer git stuck
On hoss Ike Their Well thet WAS q cute
trek. ,erbcr sho'," and l.arkins chuckled
with great apparent enjoyment.
"Yer done IL yerse1,' said sam, be
ginning 10 get ont Of temper at the cool
way in which the other Ignored the trans
action.
Me- exclaimed Larkins: "why, vel
don't mean TO say yer think I'd chea: a
man tibet way, do yer: No, stranger. -
shaking his head slowly. II amt thei
kin er man. I've been Il iealn' in hosses
all my life, but l never was up ter u trics
lkc thet-I amt smart enough I tel
| yer. fur fac, cf ever sol yer hOss
don't ric lie il.
Yer didn't sell i'm; We snapped. Bu1
| reckin ycr'll ric'lec' ther hoss' name, ei
yer don't ric'lec' me-
"Me5be mought: wat WIS his name!
William Hinry."
Larkin's face seemed suddenly L
| brighten with the light Of remembrance
| aud he cxtcrded his hand To give Sans ,
| friendly shake.
Yes" he said, Il does ric'lec' tha
trade now, an how got stuck in it. Bu
| 7 hears no i'll will: a man mus take wa
comes ia boss swop 'thout g-umblin'.'
stuck repeated sam. in 8mazcmcnt
sYcS, stranger, | was stuck bad, that.
sa-tin: but es said afore, l bears no IL
will Their ole critiur yer got off ontel
| mo was orfully spawned an wasn't NJ
matter or conu,, nohow. got rid on in
| far little or nothing. tell yer fur a fac
| h. wasn't wuth more'n a.s side w'ult
| tea IL Iher tau var,
"Spav!ne,i' mi, Ssm, e; he wa
spa, Incd / never knoweo II; an thet hos
I got from you had glass eyes, es l tell
yer-they dropped right out'n his head" !"
"ler don't say" calculated the other
with "a look Of astonishment. "Well,
lecla'r! ter think how long / he'd the
hoss an never foun' that out"
Didn't yer know he WIS stone bline.'
| "Know it. why of course l tsdnt;
WIS alters far an squar' in my dealin's
an et I'd knowed tibet hoss wus bline an'
he'd glass eyes-they wus Gurus iookin
eyes, l ric'ec'-I'd er ruther cut IN.
throat then er traded 'um es a soun 'thoss
Ef wus SWARM man l c'uld do
. ,s,,s r,rl,t . ho